The University of New Mexico-Los Alamos (UNM-LA) will open its new 1,000-square-foot maintenance facility and shop with a celebration featuring a ribbon cutting, building tour and refreshments from 1-2 p.m. Monday.

Everyone is welcome to attend the event, which will take place on the UNM-LA campus at 4000 University Drive, across from Los Alamos High School.

The new building includes a vehicle bay, shop area and storage facilities as well as a new office for the UNM-LA facilities maintenance staff. The shop area is currently being used for a UNM-LA woodworking class and may be used for other classes in the future.

The new facility had a budget of $437,500 and was financed through a 2004 New Mexico General Bond Issue totaling $350,000 and through UNM-LA Student Facilities Fees, which totaled $87,500 and were collected over the past several years, said UNM-LA Campus Resources Director Lisa Clough.

The building was designed with energy efficiency in mind, according to Shelley Zivkovich of the UNM Office of Capital Projects. The strategic placement of some operable windows, in combination with the large overhead doors helps control airflow in the space.

Because of this, the building was able to be designed without an air conditioner. The building is also south-facing, maximizing solar gain in the winter, as well as providing shade from the over-hangs in the summer when the sun is high in the sky. The final sustainable trait is that the roof is a raised-seam, metal roof.

“The interior of the building possesses excellent natural light to create a very pleasant working environment for staff,” Zivkovich said.

This project was highly anticipated because the former maintenance building was an old and dilapidated trailer, Zivkovich said.

“Not only was updating the space an issue to overcome, but size, storage, suitable classroom space, and vehicle storage were additional needs to be met,” she said.

For more information about the celebration or the new facility, contact Bonnie Gordon at 661-4691.